


Heroes Dont Get Scared (They're Terrified)

by rangerdanger985



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Arthur Morgan Does Not Have Tuberculosis, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Protective Arthur, arthur cant allow that, i dont like mica, jack is afraid, just pointing that out, litereally just a fluffy thing i wrote in three hours, really just a feel good fic, spoilers for chapter 3 and 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27885703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rangerdanger985/pseuds/rangerdanger985
Summary: Everyone suffered from fears, Arthur morgan knew that better than most, but what can he do when the most innocent among them wants to take steps down the wrong path.Fear was something they all had, some just knew how to deal with it better than most.Maybe it was time to talk.
Relationships: Jack Marston & Arthur Morgan, John Marston/Arthur Morgan, implied
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Heroes Dont Get Scared (They're Terrified)

**Author's Note:**

> so! this is a new obsession of mine! I love red dead DEPRESSION! jokes aside this is literally something I whipped up in like 3 hours so forgive me if it's not that great, I really need to get back to m other work but I had to get this out of the way first.
> 
> also! I haven't finished the game but I spoilered it for myself while trying to find the location of my beautiful Nakota Balu, however, if you haven't finished the game tread with caution, I don't think I spoilered anything but you never know.
> 
> and with that, I say Enjoy!  
> RD

After the shit that went down at Rhodes, Sean getting shot and damn near dying, finding out jack was missing when they rushed back to camp and then shortly after being chased from that camp by the fucking Pinkertons.

After all of that and the other bad luck they had come across since blackwater Arthur became extremely protective of the gang, spending more time around camp and always sacrificing what little sleep he got to walk around their new camp of shady belle, they got jack back soon after moving in and he didn’t want to witness a repeat of events.

Things had been quiet going on a couple of months now, Sean was back on his feet if half-blind now and they had set up small operations inside of Saint Denis, slowly gathering money until they could leave once and for all.

When Charles saw him making his rounds the man described him as a wolf, patrolling his territory on silent feet just waiting for some unsuspecting fool to go where they don’t belong.

Arthur had always liked Charles, even when his metaphors went all strange like that, and the man didn’t mention his patrolling to anyone else.

Not that anyone else needed told, he habitually checked the tents outside, walked through the area that the horses were grazing of sleeping and then the rooms of the house, never invading privacy just listening for the quiet breathing of the sleeping occupants or the flipping of pages for those still awake.

It was during one of these checks that Abigail found him, it was late in the evening and she had dark shadows under her eyes, her hair frayed in its knot, the stress of the last year weighing on her, he didn’t know why she wasn’t yet asleep.

“they boy wants to see you Arthur” she said and the pieces clicked. Since being returned from that Italian fella jack had been quieter than usual, even when john, finally stepping up as a father, managed to get him to play. He’d noticed it for a while but never quite knew how to approach it, never was one for the gift of words outside of his writing, that was always Hosea’s talent.

“I’ll see what he wants, you get some rest” he reached out and laid a hand onto her tiny slumped shoulders, Abigail had never been a tiny woman but again the recent year had weighed on her like it had the rest of them.

The woman couldn’t quite look him in the eyes, hadn’t been able to since colter if he was being honest, since she figured out just where her ‘husband’ spent his time, and with whom.

She never was very angry about it, more defeated than anything else but she knew just as well as Arthur, she and john never would have worked it out between them, they were both far too stubborn and hot-tempered, they would have killed each other within a few years even if their feelings held true.

“thank you, Arthur” she whispered before slipping away, planning to spend the night with the rest of the girls most likely.

Sighing Arthur slid silently up the stairs and into the small bedroom jack shared with his mother to find the boy sitting on his bed, already dressed in his pajamas but holding his knees to his chest.

His brown hair was getting long and hanging into his eyes, they were dark like his fathers and damn near just a distant, Arthur made his presence known before speaking as not to spook the kid but still saw him jump “you wanted to see me boah?” he drawled out the question, keeping his stance relaxed in the doorway.

Jack looked at him and nodded “can we talk uncle Arthur?” he questioned and Arthur nodded, taking off his hat as he entered the room proper “course” he said and came to sit on the end of the boy's bed, the only option as there wasn’t room for a chair alongside the bed and dresser.

“what’s wrong jack?” he asked, keeping his posture relaxed but his voice a little more serious whatever was wrong deeply troubled the boy, being barely on the edge of six years old and already suffering troubles wasn’t something Arthur liked seeing.

Jack was supposed to be the innocent one, the figurative rose among their thorny asses.

“When can I start learnin ta shoot?” the question threw Arthur as his shire had done a week prior, the beast hated snakes and always had a tantrum leaving the camp as there was always one by the path.

He stared at the boy for a moment, mouth hanging open before he could recover “now what would ya want to learn how to shoot for?” the boy held his knees tighter “so I can help you protect everyone, pa and mama and everyone else works all the time and they all know how ta shoot”

Arthur reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting a headache that he could already feel coming on and biting his tongue, the kid didn’t need to be bitched at for wanting to help, he just needed to find what was really causing the peace-loving boy to want to take up the trade they were all sick an tired of being in.

A trade that was fast being wiped out by men like the Pinkertons.

“jack” he started but stopped at the boys next words, whispered against his knees “I don’t want to be afraid no more” face softening he fully turned to the boy pulling his leg up onto the bed as he turned “jack” he said, softer this time and the boy looked up.

Arthur held open his arms and the boy immediately crawled forward, nestling his small body into Arthur's embrace, digging up distant memories of a little blonde-haired boy that Arthur shoved back into their corner.

One thing at a time.

“knowing how ta shoot don’t make you no less afraid” he spoke softly as he held the boy that shook in his arms “and what’s so bad about being afraid anyways?” the boy sniffled, probably got tears and snot on Arthur's favorite shirt but the damn thing’s had worse so he didn’t say anything.

“Being afraid is bad, the hero’s in my books ain’t never afraid” Arthur resisted rolling his eyes, what kind of book was Hosea letting the boy read anyway, shaking his head he glanced down at the dark hair, reaching up to run his fingers through it, something that always soothed the boy’s father, seemed to work on him to “everybody's got their fears they gotta live with jack, even your pa”

The boy sniffled again “you ain’t never afraid” he muttered and Arthur actually laughed, just a short startled bark that made the boy freeze up for a moment before Arthur could control himself “oh I’m fuckin terrified” jack pulled back enough to look up at Arthur, his eyes were huge and wet, his cheeks were red and his breathing was unsteady at best.

“but” the boy sniffed “but your always brave and your always taking care of us, you’re a hero” this time Arthur's laugh was softer, just a vibration of a chuckle in his chest “that don’t mean I ain’t afraid jack” he reached up to rub his thumb against the boys face, pushing away tears.

“I don’t trust no one that ain't got some fear in them, and if ya ain't got fear in ya when you hold a gun you're liable to get hurt” Arthur bit his tongue, this wasn’t a lesson about guns.

If he had it his way the young boy would never have to touch a gun in his life, not even for hunting, but in life it was inevitable, either you held the gun or you were being held up by the gun.

This wasn’t a gun lesson this was a lesson that would go with jack through his entire life, a lesson about fear he wished his rotten father had taught him before hangin, a lesson he’d barely managed to learn by himself.

“fears your instincts way of keeping you alive it’s a part of life an it’ll always be there but it ain’t nothin to be afraid of” being afraid of fear, what an odd thought that was.

Again he wished for Hosea’s talent with words but jack was watching him silently, letting him put his thoughts together for a moment before speaking “ya said that heroes ain’t never afraid, well that’s just in them books of yours, do ya wanna know what a real hero is?”

Jack nodded, eyes wide open an staring at him “it’s someone that defies the odds of an impossible situation, they ain’t a hero cause their brave or cause they ain’t scared, hell most heroes are scared all the time, but what makes em a hero is living with it, knowing what may happen, that they might never come home or that they may lose someone they care about”

Arthur pulled his eyes away from the boy, staring at something that the young man wouldn’t be able to see, memories flashing behind his eyes “they see where the road they’re on’s leading em, and they know how it ends an they piss themselves, they scream or cry but they walk down that road anyway, shakin in their boots the whole way”

Silence fell for a moment before jack finally spoke “but why?” and that was the question, wasn’t it?

Arthur turned his eyes back to the child in his arms and held him just a bit tighter “cause if they don’t who will? They know they're strong enough”

He shifted his hold on the boy, adjusting his legs on the bed and leaning g against the wall to be a bit more comfortable “hero’s don’t hide from their fear, but they don’t live with it hangin over their heads neither, they respect it for what it is, somethin that keeps em alive, reminds em what they don’t want to lose. When they're afraid they great the feeling like an old friend"

Jack laid his head back on Arthur’s chest, this time with a distinct lack of tears “is that why you’re afraid?” he murmured and Arthur smiled slightly “yeah son, I got things I don’t wanna lose, just like anyone else” the boy nestled his head closer against Arthur's chest “I think I understand” he said and Arthur hummed, rubbing the boys back “good, maybe in a few years me or your pa will teach you to shoot but it ain’t gonna be for a while yet, now get some sleep"

He felt the boy nod against his chest but rather than shift away his tiny hands grasped his shirt tighter, quickly fading into sleep against his chest, soothed from his fears by Arthur’s presence.

Sighing and closing his eyes he enjoyed the peace of the moment, soon they would be free of this place and jack could grow up as a normal kid, with a questionably extended family, should, and as much as he wanted to help the boy didn’t really have anything to be afraid of.

After all, the Pinkertons had been distracted elsewhere and their biggest rat had gone out on a ride one day not so long ago, just plain didn’t come back.

They went searching for him of course, he didn’t leave no note and they were worried about a member of the gang, but they only really found his guns and hat, the swamps were treacherous, lots of snakes an gator’s.

In the belly of which don’t no one gotta know about the hole in his head.

Peaceful with this knowledge, Arthur closed his eyes and slid into sleep.


End file.
